Online Gambling in Australia and New Zealand

From
Craig Martin
August 2017.

In Australia and New Zealand gambling has always
been a favourite pastime. Wagering on casino games,
sporting events, horse races and even cockroach races
is all part of the culture, and it seems like everyone
loves to try their luck in one way or another.

When it comes to casino games, online players in
both Australia and New Zealand love playing pokies,
or slots, as they are known around the rest of the
world. As many as 80% of the population of these two
countries regularly take part in some sort of gambling,
and pokie machines rank by far and large as their
first choice.

The Popularity of Pokies

Table games are a lot less popular and historically,
these games have only really been played at land-based
casinos.
In contrast, the availability of pokies made them
a smash hit, and they gained favour due in part to
their easy accessibility. From the bar counters in
saloons from days gone by, to the corner café, these
reel spinning games are an Aussie and Kiwi institution.

These games are also very easy to play, and some
of them, especially those that feature progressive
jackpot prizes, are able to award truly enormous wins.
In fact, Rawiri Pou, from New Zealand, and an anonymous
player from Australia, are honourably mentioned in
the list of the biggest jackpot wins of all time:
Pou hit $7.41 million, the anonymous player $7.86,
and both were playing Microgaming titles: Mega Moolah,
and The Dark Knight, respectively.

Why are They Called Pokies?

No one is 100% sure of the reason behind the strange
nickname these games have garnered, but there is a
popular theory doing the rounds. Back when gambling
games started appearing in casinos and pubs, they
mostly took the shape of poker machines. The reason
for the shortened term is obvious for these games,
but the manner in which they came to include all slots
games is a little hazier. The slots were initially
placed alongside these poker machines wherever they
were available, and it is thought that that is how
they started all becoming known by the one blanket
term.

Players Prefer Online

Insights reveal that as many as 80% of adults from
this part of the world engage regularly in gambling
of some kind, and they form the highest rate of gambling
worldwide. This amount includes around 4% of adults
who play pokie games at least once a week, which account
for around 62% of locals' annual spend on gambling
activities.

The online arena has garnered the biggest amount
of attention, and along with pokies, it seems as though
Keno is a local favourite, having made the very successful
transition from land based venues, pubs and clubs,
to the digital realm. At a NZD
online casino players will find an abundance of
both these games, and pokies often make up the lions
share of entertainment on offer, with several hundred
titles featured.

If we look at the overall Australian and New Zealand
gambling industry it's clear that the majority of
players flock to games of chance, and that games that
require skill and strategy are far less favoured.
Whether this comes down to where the games are played,
how readily available they were, or whether both nations
just prefer fast paced thrills to careful contemplation,
is anyone's guess.